REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationBEIJING/PRAGUE, June 9 (Reuters) - China urged Europe on Friday not to have any official exchanges with Taiwan or support "independence forces" ahead of a planned trip to the continent next week by Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky confirmed Wu was due to visit Prague next week, saying on Friday state officials were not expected to shift from their existing policy towards Taiwan.
Taiwan, which is claimed by China, has no formal diplomatic ties with any European country except the Vatican.
Asked about the visit on Friday, Czech Minister Lipavsky said he had "been informed" about Wu coming to Prague.
In January, then-Czech President-elect Pavel and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen spoke by telephone shortly after his election, in a diplomatic coup for Taiwan that infuriated China.
Persons:
Dado Ruvic, Joseph Wu, Jan Lipavsky, Wu, Petr Pavel, Lipavsky, Wang Wenbin, Wang, Pavel, Tsai Ing, Marketa Pekarova Adamova, Liz Lee, Robert Muller, Ben Blanchard, Simon Cameron, Moore, Nick Macfie
Organizations:
REUTERS, Taiwan Foreign, Reuters, Foreign Ministry, Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party, Thomson
Locations:
BEIJING, PRAGUE, China, Europe, Taiwan, Joseph Wu . Czech, Prague, Vatican, Beijing, Czech, Czech Republic, Brussels, Slovakia